Issue #7 ended with Ben Urich agreeing to help Liz Osborn (a.k.a. Liz Allan), with her search for the new Green Goblin. This leaves Phil to wonder how long he has left until he’s exposed. Not to mention the guilt of drawing his uncle into this, particularly when there’s a grieving widow involved. The layers of tension had me hooked, wondering how the tension would play out, and how long. We’re officially into the last half of the series. So this arc may very well shape the rest of this book. Although this book does have a bad habit of dropping plot threads a little too early.
Written by Tom DeFalcoCover by Scott McDaniel
Penciled by Darick Robertson
Inked by Jeff Albrecht
Colored by Gregory Wright
Color Separated by Malibu
Lettered by Chia-Chi WangAs Liz Osborn searches for the new Goblin wearing her late-husband’s tech, her newly acquired wealth draws the attention of Angel Face.
The Liz Osborn plotline does resolve in this issue. And in a pretty trope-y way. Green Goblin rescues Liz and her son from the villain Angel Face, so Liz decided the new Goblin can’t be that bad. I was a little disappointed that the storyline was dropped that abruptly, but the long it’s been since I’ve read this issue, the more I probably should have expected it. I get the impression DeFalco had plans for the series, or at least wanted to set a few things up for whoever took over after him. The new villain Angel Face is the best example of this.
We have another fill-in artist this issue. “Transmetropolitan” and “The Boys” penciler Darick Robertson steps into the artist role. He’s a few years off from Vertigo and Amazon Originals success, but he’s already developed his unique style. There’s still the same issue with him as there was for Kobasic back in Issue #5. Robertson, at least at this point, is a much better technical draftsman than McDaniel. His linework is crisper. His characters have more weight. But they’re missing the chaotic energy of McDaniel, who even when his work looks unfinished pulls you into the action of the moment. This series has a personality, even at its most frustrating. And McDaniel’s art is one of the biggest reasons why.
That’s not to say Robertson is a bad fit. The book opens with the introduction of Angel Face, who sits in a dark room lit only with a single overhead light. The dialog tells us she’s been institutionalized, with her evaluation being the framing story of the book. She also describes the process as “kinky,” because this series has never had any chill. This leads into Ben Ulrich leading Liz and Phil into the old Osborn warehouse, only to discover the entire Goblin lab has gone missing. Which will likely be the next arc of the book. Good on them for following The Levitz Paradigm I guess?
Angel Face’s M.O. is robbing the ultra wealthy for kicks. And Liz Osborn inherited a fortune from her late Goblin-husband. She takes Liz and little Normie hostage, demanding the widow’s liquid assets. But she doesn’t realize that Liz had make plans to meet with the current Green Goblin, a meeting Phil arranged in his scaly emerald guise. The ensuing fight burns Angel Face’s… well, face… when a steam pipe is shot. Scarred and institutionalized, the issue ends with Angel Face vowing revenge. Which, honestly, made me sad. Because it felt like DeFalco was building up a new major antagonist. She was the major POV character of this issue. She had odd quirks, like flying into a fury when the Goblin criticizes her. Even if that criticism is just “Don’t kidnap kids.” We even get some bits of backstory that could be developed into something later. Not to mention the motivation for revenge established right up front. There is effort put into this character. Especially notable considering how flat The Steel Slammer was last issue. Effort that given the weird plotting and impending cancellation, will likely never be properly utilized.
Although Angel Face will show up later in the series (in like two issues from now), her plot feels like it was intended for a long running threat. And whatever the intentions were for her, she didn’t make it to mainline Marvel after the series ended. So much of these books feels like it was meant to set up years of continuity. Angel Face is not the first case of this, but she’s definitely the most glaring example thus far.
Speaking of weird plotting, no Lynn in this issue. But we do get Fast Freddie, who has gone from gross, dangerous street gang member to lovable slacker with almost zero transition. Ricko (the Sicko) has seemingly vanished from the timeline, leaving Freddie to be a goofy sitcom neighbor as opposed to the subject of misplaced loyalty. The only reason Freddie shows up is to try wearing the Goblin, only for nothing to happen. The electric pulse that normally activates Phil’s powers doesn’t hit Freddie, leading Phil to ponder on the “bond” between himself and the Goblin. Whether or not they choose to run with the “stolen robot mask actively chooses its host” angle, or if they’re just setting up Phil losing the Goblin identity, remains to be seen.
Part of me wishes I knew when the creative team got the cancellation order, just out of curiosity. It’s hard to tell if they’re building up threats and plot seeds to pay off years down the line, or if they’re just trying to build up the finale at this point. The Liz Allan storyline wrapped up a little too quickly, but I can’t tell if that’s just DeFalco wanting to move on to his next idea, or him clearing the board so he can wrap everything up.
